diff --git a/gnu/packages/perl.scm b/gnu/packages/perl.scm
index 63baed8d35..fbccff2550 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/perl.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/perl.scm
@@ -61,6 +61,19 @@
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
      '(#:tests? #f
+       #:configure-flags
+       (let ((out  (assoc-ref %outputs "out"))
+             (libc (assoc-ref %build-inputs "libc")))
+         (list
+          (string-append "-Dprefix=" out)
+          (string-append "-Dman1dir=" out "/share/man/man1")
+          (string-append "-Dman3dir=" out "/share/man/man3")
+          "-de" "-Dcc=gcc"
+          "-Uinstallusrbinperl"
+          "-Dinstallstyle=lib/perl5"
+          "-Duseshrplib"
+          (string-append "-Dlocincpth=" libc "/include")
+          (string-append "-Dloclibpth=" libc "/lib")))
        #:phases
        (modify-phases %standard-phases
          (add-before 'configure 'setup-configure
@@ -76,23 +89,10 @@
                (("-std=c89")
                 "-std=gnu89"))
              #t))
-         (replace
-          'configure
-          (lambda* (#:key inputs outputs #:allow-other-keys)
-            (let ((out  (assoc-ref outputs "out"))
-                  (libc (assoc-ref inputs "libc")))
-              (zero?
-               (system* "./Configure"
-                        (string-append "-Dprefix=" out)
-                        (string-append "-Dman1dir=" out "/share/man/man1")
-                        (string-append "-Dman3dir=" out "/share/man/man3")
-                        "-de" "-Dcc=gcc"
-                        "-Uinstallusrbinperl"
-                        "-Dinstallstyle=lib/perl5"
-                        "-Duseshrplib"
-                        (string-append "-Dlocincpth=" libc "/include")
-                        (string-append "-Dloclibpth=" libc "/lib"))))))
-
+         (replace 'configure
+           (lambda* (#:key configure-flags #:allow-other-keys)
+             (format #t "Perl configure flags: ~s~%" configure-flags)
+             (zero? (apply system* "./Configure" configure-flags))))
          (add-before
           'strip 'make-shared-objects-writable
           (lambda* (#:key outputs #:allow-other-keys)